1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a microscope having an objective revolver and, more particularly, to a microscope having an objective revolver supported on an arm projecting from a microscope stand.
2. Related Background Art
Ordinarily, in a type of microscope having an ocular lens barrel on which an ocular lens is mounted, an objective revolver on which a plurality of objectives are mounted, and a stand formed on a microscope base and having a projecting end portion on which the ocular lens barrel and the objective revolver are mounted, the direction of the objective revolver in the mounted state is such that a rotation plane surface of the objective revolver is inclined downwardly toward the stand or away from the stand. In the case of the type of microscope in which this surface is inclined away from the stand, unused objectives are located on the stand side and are therefore not obstructive to the operations of setting or removing a specimen, marking the specimen, and so on. This type of microscope is therefore advantageous in terms of handling. However, if a large objective is used, it is necessary to incline the rotation plane surface of the objective revolver toward the stand. For this reason, the operability of this type of microscope can be improved if the objective lens revolver is interchangable and if the direction of inclination of the rotation plane surface in the mounted state can be changed.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-135816 discloses a microscope capable of inclination of changing the direction of the revolver rotation plane by using an objective lens revolver with a relay lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,111 discloses a microscope in which the rotation plane surface of the objective revolver is inclined away from the stand, and in which the objective revolver is fixed to the microscope arm without using any relay lens,
The microscope disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-135816 has an advantage of interchangeability of the objective lens revolver but it requires a relay lens for the objective lens revolver. Accordingly, although no problem is encountered in the case of light field observation with transmission illumination, flare or a ghost occurs owing to the relay lens and impedes observation in the case of fluorescent observation with downlighting illumination or light field observation with reflection light. This microscope also entails the problem in an increase in cost since the relay lens is added.
The microscope disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,111 is improved in the operability and in the performance of observing various kinds of specimens. However, the objective lens revolver is not interchangeable and the direction of inclination of the rotation plane surface of the revolver cannot be changed. Another microscope is therefore needed if it is desirable to use a different objective revolver, resulting in an increase in the overall cost of the observation system.